Im looking for a good IEM for when I ride, im in the ~150 range and their are a million and one posts on them cant really decide. Im looking for something that has a good sound stage, not overwhelming bass but still good bass when I want it and good noise isolation a a neutral sound.
I assume you are talking about riding a motorcycle and using IEMs with a helmet. One thing that I have noticed is that lows take a beating. It must be the wind noise, because when I'm stationary, the lows are fine. Then they promptly disappear while moving at anything above parking lot speeds.
So one suggestion off the bat is to look for IEMs that have decent bass. For years I used Westone UM-2s and was quite satisfied. They finally died after many years and I have acquired a pair of pro 30's.
I am exploring getting custom molds for them, and you may want to explore this as well. I started a thread on this topic a short while ago. Sealing out some of road noise would be to your advantage. Do you ride with hearing protection anyway? I always have.
Etymotic ER6i have been the best option for me - they are low profile (not jostled by putting the helmet on), maximum isolation (deep insertion plus double/triple flanges), and they maintain their seal for hours so I don't need to pull over to adjust/reinsert them during long trips.
Etymotic ER6i have been the best option for me - they are low profile (not jostled by putting the helmet on), maximum isolation (deep insertion plus double/triple flanges), and they maintain their seal for hours so I don't need to pull over to adjust/reinsert them during long trips.
Sorry to derail but isn't it extremely dangerous to use IEMs while riding a motorcycle...? I mean while using your IEM's you can't hear your surroundings and to me it just seems incredibly dangerous.
Sorry to derail but isn't it extremely dangerous to use IEMs while riding a motorcycle...? I mean while using your IEM's you can't hear your surroundings and to me it just seems incredibly dangerous.
I almost included in my response to Fonzie "and get ready for flack for riding with music," because such comments inevitably follow. I cannot recall a single thread I have seen dealing with music while riding that did not have this issue raised. Just yesterday, a forum member wrote that the thought of using IEMs while motorcycling left him "deeply disturbed."
Here is what I hope ends up being a somewhat cogent answer. And hatefulsandwich already hit the basics. Riding a motorcycle is inherently loud, especially if you wear a helmet, believe it or not. The helmet creates significant wind noise. This wind noise is so loud that it drowns out many other sounds, including engine noise. If I do not see a car behind me or next to me, I can assure you that I will never hear it. Riding for much more that half an hour without hearing protection leaves me feeling like I have been to a loud concert. My hearing is affected for hours afterward. It just feels crappy. And forget about doing any kind of decent music listening until much later.
This is why I always ride with hearing protection. My favorite protection is custom ear molds that seal up my ear canals about as well as they can possibly be sealed. But as you might have guessed, even at this level, it only serves to attenuate. I can still hear wind noise. And importantly, from a safety perspective, I can clearly hear vehicle horns. Other than horns, I don't think there is anything else I can hear out on the road under any circumstances. And I wonder if there is anything else I need to hear, from a safety point of view. Vision is the primary sense I use to stay alive.
Adding music to hearing protection seemed like a logical thing to do. You are a captive audience. Road noise, even attenuated, is mind numbing. Why not add a little Metallica into the mix? I do not ride at ear-splitting levels. I do not listen at home at ear-splitting levels. I listen loud enough to get the job done. While riding and listening at the loudest levels I am comfortable with, I can still CLEARLY hear the sounds of vehicle horns. If they were being blown in time with the music I am listening to, I might be in trouble, but otherwise, they immediately grab my attention.
I do not think I am alone with these observations, and I encourage other riders to chime in. I appreciate that forum members are genuinely concerned. Perhaps with some detailed accounts of what it is like to ride with music, there will be less concern. Thanks for listening.
Ok before i precede I knew this was going to come up as well... First of all you dont hear anything other than your motor and exhaust, you feel everything else. Next is think about this, if your on a track and racing (doesnt matter what) alot of those guys either have a headset to communicate with the team, or in the case of independent riders they ride with headphones on for music. I dont know a rider who practices without music. That being said lets get to cars, as soon as you put a system in your car you dont hear anything so its just as "dangerous". Next would be to go ask anyone you know who rides a motorcycle and ask if they can "feel"their surroundings because if not I dont want them riding near me. You still have eyes and mirrors nothing changed their, think about a deaf person riding is that dangerous?? Music also puts me in the zone so to speak and helps me concentrate more on what im doing ie the road or controls of my bike. Anyhow I dont care what you think I will ride with headphones in regardless so if your here for that leave.
I know hifi man make good quality stuff but at 100 the re400 look like they hae a chincy cable, has anyone recabled these? the Etymotic ER6i dont look bad except the cable again, and reviews seem to be mixed, any more input on these? how about a recable on them as well?
Sorry to derail but isn't it extremely dangerous to use IEMs while riding a motorcycle...? I mean while using your IEM's you can't hear your surroundings and to me it just seems incredibly dangerous.
Riding a m/c is dangerous and I've had *many* close calls over the past 20 years due clueless drivers, deer, oil/debris on corners etc. - earphones have never been a factor and I doubt they ever will be...
Riding a m/c is dangerous and I've had *many* close calls over the past 20 years due clueless drivers, deer, oil/debris on corners etc. - earphones have never been a factor and I doubt they ever will be...
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